Agriculture Development, Food Security and Nutrition – 80th Session of the UN General Assembly Second Committee

Mr. Chair,

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

• It is a privilege to present the third report on the implementation of the third biennium of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF), on behalf of the FAO-IFAD Joint Secretariat.
• Supporting small-scale, family-based food production is paramount to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development's (IFAD) mandate. It is an honor to lead the implementation of the Decade.
• I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the UNDFF International Steering Committee, chaired by the Dominican Republic.
• The 2023-24 biennium marked the biennium midterm of the Decade, with incredibly strong results.
• Currently, 46 countries have adopted national or regional policy frameworks for family farming inspired by the Decade. In the biennium, four countries approved new national action plans, bringing the total of national plans to 16. Another 14 countries are currently drafting plans.
• Significant advances were made in establishing new legal and policy frameworks that recognize and support the contribution of family farmers to agrifood systems, environmental stewardship, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation. 90 such policies, laws, and regulations were enacted, bringing the total since the Decade's start to 385.
• Family farmers' organizations, national committees for family farming, and relevant stakeholders have played an increasingly prominent role in these processes, contributing to shaping policy and legislative frameworks and interventions relevant to the sector and in support of the Decade's Global Action Plan.
• Almost 2,000 organizations have participated in dialogue processes and platforms. We are happy to see that these platforms have become inclusive, with 770 women 's organizations and 50 youth organizations engaged to date.

Distinguished delegates,

• Moving forward, efforts will focus on consolidating, strengthening, and scaling up achievements, capitalising on these results.
• Priorities include overcoming structural barriers to the empowerment of women and youth in family farming, ensuring equitable access to resources, services, institutions, and decent employment, fostering engagement in planning and decision-making, and increasing participation of family farmers in national and international platforms.
• Realising the Decade's full potential-and unlocking the transformative capacity of family farming-requires ongoing commitment, tangible actions, and sufficient financing.
• In closing, we extend our gratitude to all governments, family farmers, and partners whose contributions were integral to this report and whose dedication highly valued.